Varney the Vampire eBook

“It shall be fathomed if there be any possibility
of its being discovered,” muttered Chillingworth.
“Who would have thought that so quiet and orderly
a spot as this, our quiet village, would have suffered
so much commotion and disturbance? Far from every
cause of noise and strife, it is quite as great a
matter of mystery as the vampyre business itself.

“I have been so mixed up in this business that
I must go through with it. By the way, of the
mysteries, the greatest that I have met with is the
fact of the vampyre having anything to do with so quiet
a family as the Bannerworths.”

Mr. Chillingworth pondered over the thought; but yet
he could make nothing of it. It in no way tended
to elucidate anything connected with the affair, and
it was much too strange and singular in all its parts
to be submitted to any process of thought, with any
hope of coming to anything like a conclusion upon
the subject—­that must remain until some
facts were ascertained, and to obtain them Mr. Chillingworth
now determined to try.

This was precisely what was most desirable in the
present state of affairs; while things remained in
the present state of uncertainty, there would be much
more of mystery than could ever be brought to light.

One or two circumstances cleared up, the minor ones
would follow in the same train, and they would be
explained by the others; and if ever that happy state
of things were to come about, why, then there would
be a perfect calm in the town.

As Mr. Chillingworth was going along, he thought he
observed two men sitting inside a hedge, close to
a hay-rick, and thinking neither of them had any business
there, he determined to listen to their conversation,
and ascertain if it had any evil tendency, or whether
it concerned the late event.

Having approached near the gate, and they being on
the other side, he got over without any noise, and,
unperceived by either of them, crept close up to them.

“So you haven’t long come from sea?”

“No; I have just landed.”

“How is it you have thrown aside your seaman’s
clothes and taken to these?”

“Just to escape being found out.”

“Found out! what do you mean by that? Have
you been up to anything?”

“Yes, I have, Jack. I have been up to something,
worse luck to me; but I’m not to be blamed either.”

“What is it all about?” inquired his companion.
“I always thought you were such a steady-going
old file that there was no going out of the even path
with you.”

“Nor would there have been, but for one simple
circumstance.”

“What was that?”

“I will tell you, Jack—­I will tell
you; you will never betray me, I am sure.”

“Never, by heavens!”

“Well, then, listen—­it was this.
I had been some time aboard our vessel. I had
sailed before, but the captain never showed any signs
of being a bad man, and I was willing enough to sail
with him again.